Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	$ 2,241	$ 2,067	$ 4,335	$ 3,970
Affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net sales and operating revenues	2,241	2,067	4,335	3,970
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,851	1,736	3,605	3,340
Engineering, research, and development	42	33	84	68
Selling, general, and administrative	139	106	271	225
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	52	50	103	100
Costs and expenses	2,084	1,925	4,063	3,733
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other	0	0	(1)	(1)
Total other income (expense)	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	156	141	269	234
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	19	20	38	40
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	137	121	231	194
Income tax expense	46	47	86	59
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	91	74	145	135
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	10	11	18	18
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	81	63	127	117
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	90	45	133	77
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,007	904	1,927	1,756
Affiliated companies	103	92	206	171
Net sales and operating revenues	1,110	996	2,133	1,927
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	975	776	1,777	1,518
Engineering, research, and development	18	14	40	29
Selling, general, and administrative	55	45	106	98
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	21	19	42	38
Costs and expenses	1,069	854	1,965	1,683
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other	27	34	25	33
Total other income (expense)	27	34	25	33
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	68	176	193	277
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	21	18	37	36
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	48	159	157	242
Income tax expense	6	40	36	46
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	83	2	68	(3)
Net Income (loss)	125	121	189	193
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	125	121	189	193
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	123	126	188	193
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	1,234	1,163	2,408	2,214
Affiliated companies	157	141	305	291
Net sales and operating revenues	1,391	1,304	2,713	2,505
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	1,136	1,192	2,339	2,283
Engineering, research, and development	24	19	44	39
Selling, general, and administrative	82	60	161	124
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	31	31	61	62
Costs and expenses	1,273	1,302	2,605	2,508
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Other	(1)	5	0	5
Total other income (expense)	(2)	4	(2)	3
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	116	6	106	0
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	1	1	1	2
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	(21)	(18)	(37)	(37)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	136	23	142	35
Income tax expense	40	7	50	13
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	96	16	92	22
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	10	11	18	18
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	86	5	74	4
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	97	(18)	81	(36)
Tenneco Inc
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	0
Net sales and operating revenues	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	0	0	0	0
Engineering, research, and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	2	1	4	3
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	2	1	4	3
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(2)	(1)	(4)	(3)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	19	20	38	39
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	1
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(21)	(21)	(42)	(43)
Income tax expense		0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	102	84	169	160
Net Income (loss)	81	63	127	117
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	81	63	127	117
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	90	45	133	77
Reclass & Elims
Net sales and operating revenues —
External	0	0	0	0
Affiliated companies	(260)	(233)	(511)	(462)
Net sales and operating revenues	(260)	(233)	(511)	(462)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	(260)	(232)	(511)	(461)
Engineering, research, and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other intangibles	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	(260)	(232)	(511)	(461)
Other income (expense)
Loss on sale of receivables	0	0	0	0
Other	(26)	(39)	(26)	(39)
Total other income (expense)	(26)	(39)	(26)	(39)
Earnings before interest expense, income taxes, and noncontrolling interests	(26)	(40)	(26)	(40)
Interest expense —
External (net of interest capitalized)	0	0		0
Affiliated companies (net of interest income)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes, noncontrolling interests, and equity in net income from affiliated companies	(26)	(40)	(26)	(40)
Income tax expense		0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) from affiliated companies	(185)	(86)	(237)	(157)
Net Income (loss)	(211)	(126)	(263)	(197)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Tenneco Inc.	(211)	(126)	(263)	(197)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Tenneco Inc.	$ (220)	$ (108)	$ (269)	$ (157)